Centurion 530, Commando, Q6600 G0 (quiet folding machine)

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whiic
Posts: 575
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:48 pm
Location: Finland

Centurion 530, Commando, Q6600 G0 (quiet folding machine)

Post by whiic » Tue Sep 25, 2007 10:11 am

Main system components:
Centurion 530 mid-tower case
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (stock 2.4 GHz @ 1.30 volts) (95W TDP)
Noctua NH-U12F heatpipe cooler
Asus Commando with Intel P965 and ICH8R
2x 1GB Corsair DDR2, 800MHz (TWIN2X2048-6400)
Asus Radeon HD 2400Pro 256MB
Corsair HX520W
Samsung Spinpoint P80SD

Prime95 stable speeds I tend to use:
2.4 GHz @ 1.1 volts (calculated 63W TDP) (0.46 volts/GHz)
3.0 GHz @ 1.3 volts (calculated 119W TDP) (0.43 volts/GHz)
3.2 GHz @ 1.35 volts (calculated 137W TDP) (0.42 volts/GHz) [later proved slightly instable at higher temperatures]
(Voltage as set in BIOS setup. Speedfan readings approximately 0.05 volts lower. All other OC setting kept at "auto" except FSB and vcore.)

2007-10-1 addition (vdroop mod):

Code: Select all

                        @2.4 GHz        @3.15 GHz
vcore BIOS set          1.100           1.350           1.325           1.300           1.265

before pencil mod
idle                    1.065           1.305           assumed         assumed         ussumed
load (PRIME95)          1.0325          1.255           unstable /      unstable /      unstable /
idle to load           -0.0325         -0.050           not tested      not tested      not tested

after pencil mod
idle                    1.0725          assumed         1.305           1.280           1.240
load (PRIME95)          1.080           stable /        1.320           1.295           1.255
idle to load           +0.0075          not tested     +0.015          +0.015          +0.015
Thus, load voltage remained same (should have the same degree of stability) but idle voltage dropped 0.065 volts. Vcore now slightly increases with load, even though I'm not running voltage in Auto mode (which would also allow increased voltage on load but generally higher voltage level overall, both idle and load).

CPU temperature readings:

Code: Select all

clock           2.4 GHz         3.2 GHz
idle            36              45
load (100%)     44              60
load (N)        47 (30%)        60 (100%)
load (0%)       56              not tested
0, N and 100 represent CPU fan PWM values. N is controlled by Speedfan with 45 deg C "desired" and 55 deg C "warning". (Audible beeping warning enabled at 65 deg C and dual beep warning at 70 deg C.) Value next to temperature is typical PWM used when automatically controlled. Ambient temperature approx. 20 deg C at time of measurement. Front intake fan was slowed down to PWM 12% (minimum that keeps it barely spinning). Temperatures taken with SpeedFan but adding 15 degrees (that way SpeedFan readings are the same as Core Temp).

Fan configuration:
CPU fan (Revoltec red LED fan 120mm) plugged to PWR_FAN connector. This supports PWM from 0 to 100% via SpeedFan. No BIOS PWM support. No Q-Fan support.
Front intake fan (CoolerMaster blue LED fan 120mm) plugged to CHA_FAN3 connector. Supports PWM (0 to 100%) via SpeedFan but not via BIOS. Supports Q-Fan from BIOS but this need to be disable in order to use SpeedFan. (All CHA_FANx connectors use the same PWM.)
OPT_FANx connectors are all lest unused (for now). They support control via SpeedFan (30 to 100%) and via BIOS (70 to 100%) and optionally Q-Fan. Due to inability to stop fans from spinning, I don't use them at my current configuration.
Exhaust fan (YateLoon 120mm) is plugged to 5V with 2 series diodes - thus running from 3.6 volts.
Corsair's stock 120mm fan is controlled by Corsair's own internal fan controller. There's no need to modify it since it's unbelievably quiet at all loads I've pushed it so far.

And some pictures:
ImageImage
ImageImage

Because I don't want to make this thread too heavy-loading won't post all pictures I've taken. They can be found here: http://s174.photobucket.com/albums/w96/whiic/computers/

I did some cable management under the motherboard but other than that I didn't care about managing SATA and PATA cables... because I will soon(ish) move my system HDD to be decoupled in 5.25" bay instead of quick mount 3.5" inch tray it's currently situated. After that will add more pictures of the internals.

The only internal picture I included shows the cooler, PSU, exhaust fan and slight ducting I made my cutting the plastic packaging Corsair memory sticks came in. It forces air drawn by exhaust fan to either:
- pass through the CPU heatsink
- pass above the heatsink (providing cool air for PSU)
- pass below the heatsink (providing cool air for VRM and for VRM/Northbridge/Southbridge/heatsink/heatpipe-thingy).
Last edited by whiic on Mon Oct 01, 2007 4:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

djkest
Posts: 766
Joined: Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:05 pm
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by djkest » Tue Sep 25, 2007 7:06 pm

Wow nice to see a hard drive that is nearly 20 years old in your computer. Rock on! I like the modded PS with the sexy lights shining through. I like bling inside the computer but not on the front. Strange, I know.

whiic
Posts: 575
Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2006 11:48 pm
Location: Finland

Post by whiic » Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:52 am

djkest, well, those aren't part of my current configuration but my previous, Prescott-based, now so-called "server" (because it has lots of HDDs inside and because it... well, sounds like a server). I use it as a workstation instead of a server, though. Miniscribe and Bigfoots are inside my "server" and that modded PSU that once was in this Centurion case got swapped for Corsair HX520W.

[quite_off-topic]
That modded PSU ain't dead yet, so I plan to use it in some other build. Something with lower power consumption, because that flashy LED fan is less capable in cooling the PSU internals than stock fan, YateLoon, which now serves as exhaust fan in my Q6600 build. Well, the PSU is now fan-swapped with a Jamicon 120mm non-LED fan so it isn't as flashy anymore. Slightly lower airflow than YateLoon but slightly more airflow than Revoltec and makes a lot more clicking noise than either of the other two fans. It may require yet another fan swap but I don't have that many spare fans to use.

The Noctua (non-LED) fan that came with Noctua heatsink is absolutely superb... except for the colour: ugly pinkish tan frame & brownish purple blades. I probably spare that Noctua for some future build... something like building a wooden case. Or building a computer inside my computer desk. Sweet. But I'll wait a few years since my Q6600 build is more than capable to fill my needs for now. I'm way more impressed with my system now than I was 2 years back when I bought that Prescott-based (Celeron 330, 2.66 GHz) computer. In fact that computer only manages to tie in BOINC benchmark with previous 1.8 GHz Duron build, so I guess it gives a good picture how much that system sucks. Noise it makes... well, that's another reason why I'd like to pour gasolene in it and throw a match.

My next project will probably be quietezing that server but using a low budget. I think I'll start a thread in System Advice.

[/quite_off-topic]

shadow600
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 03, 2009 7:59 am
Location: Pakistan

Post by shadow600 » Thu Dec 03, 2009 8:13 am

This machine is really a beast.

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